Photo by Laura Merwin / MassLive.comArt produced by University of Massachusetts adorns the lobby of 1350 Main Street. Owner Evan Plotkin sees the arts as a key facet of revitalizing Springfield and refers to the lobby as the "1350 Gallery."

Springfield's image crisis is well known, with too much focus on poverty, crime and a lackluster downtown business scene.

Revitalizing the city's downtown is a common goal for many who love the city, but turning things around has proven to be an uphill climb in recent years. Still, incremental changes to the downtown landscape, led by the revitalization of the State Street corridor, have provided hope that Springfield can again become both a financial and cultural hub for Western Massachusetts.

One positive turnaround in the downtown business district has been the transformation of One Financial Plaza over the past several years under the ownership of Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin.

Plotkin's vision - to use the arts to help revitalize the business district - is in evidence at 1350 Main Street.

A patio with tables and benches, water fountains and art sculptures complete a revamped outside space at 1350 that overlooks Court Square. Bustling business crowds enjoy lunch from Palazzo's and other downtown eateries on the patio on daily basis.

The air was filled with the buzz of conversations, the square alive with activity during a recent visit.

Plotkin purchased the 330,000-square-foot Sovereign Bank office building at 1350 Main in May of 2007.

"What I saw when I purchased this building was a dead space and I wanted to activate it," said Plotkin during a recent interview. "I wanted to show what Springfield can be, to bring up the morale of Springfield."

Art is at the center of the building's renaissance under Plotkin's leadership, and he refers to the lobby of the building not as a lobby, but rather as the "1350 Gallery." The ground floor of the building is filled with the art work of students from the University of Massachusetts. The students, most of whom are not art majors according to Plotkin, were chosen for the project by UMass professor John Simpson.

"I'm trying to make artists economically viable in the city," said Plotkin. "Every piece of art- from the paintings to the outdoor sculptures - is for sale. Art beautifies the space aesthetically, and at the same time it gives the artists new economic opportunities."

The indoor gallery changes every six months when a new class of students complete new works, each based on a different theme. The current gallery is inspired by the Symphonie Fantastique by French composer Hector Berlioz. The symphony is a favorite of Kevin Rhodes, the Music Director for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, who helped judge the student's work.

Plotkin said the 1350 building is currently 58 percent occupied, with 80,000 square feet available, at rates in the $15-$16 per square foot range depending on the customized build-out needs of a potential client. The Spirit of Springfield will be the building's newest tenant, moving in this month.

Plotkin says the occupancy rate has steadily climbed since his purchase of the property, with more than 50,000 square feet leased in the past three years despite the struggling national economy and the financial challenges facing the city.

"That's our challenge right now, to continue to promote the opportunities the city presents business owners," said Plotkin.